How Close Can You Get to the Gorillas?

When gorilla trekking, there are strict rules and guidelines in place to ensure the safety and well-being of both the critically endangered mountain gorillas and the visitors.1

The general rule is that you must maintain a minimum distance of 7 meters (about 21-23 feet) from the gorillas at all times.

Here’s why this distance is crucial and what else to expect:

Why the 7-Meter Rule is Important:

  1. Disease Transmission: Gorillas share over 98% of human DNA, making them highly susceptible to human illnesses like colds, flu, measles, and even more serious respiratory infections. Maintaining a distance significantly reduces the risk of transmitting pathogens to the gorillas, which could be devastating for their small and fragile populations.
  2. Minimizing Stress and Disturbance: While gorillas are habituated to human presence, they are still wild animals. Keeping a respectful distance prevents them from feeling threatened or agitated, allowing them to exhibit their natural behaviors without undue stress.
  3. Safety: Although generally docile, gorillas are incredibly powerful wild animals.7 Maintaining a distance ensures your safety and reduces the chance of any unpredictable reactions from them.

What to Expect During the Encounter:

  • Ranger Guidance: Your experienced park rangers and guides are highly trained in gorilla behavior. They will always instruct you on how to approach, position yourself, and behave around the gorillas to ensure the 7-meter rule is adhered to.
  • Gorillas Might Approach You: While you are required to maintain your distance, the gorillas themselves are wild and may, out of curiosity or as part of their natural movement, sometimes come closer to you than 7 meters. In such instances, you are advised to remain calm, avoid sudden movements, do not make eye contact, and follow your guide’s instructions immediately. Never attempt to touch them.
  • Flash Photography is Prohibited: Flash can startle and distress the gorillas. Ensure your camera’s flash is turned off before you begin your trek.
  • Quiet and Calm Behavior: Keep your voices low and avoid loud noises or sudden movements. This helps to keep the gorillas calm and ensures a peaceful observation period.
  • Limited Time: For standard gorilla trekking, you are allowed a maximum of one hour in the presence of the gorillas once you locate them. This time limit is strictly enforced to minimize human impact.
  • Gorilla Habituation Experience (GHE): If you opt for the Gorilla Habituation Experience (currently only in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park), you get to spend four hours with a semi-habituated gorilla family. While you have more time, the 7-meter distance rule still applies. However, because these groups are still getting accustomed to humans, their behavior might be slightly less predictable, and they might be shyer or move more.

In summary, while you won’t be able to touch the gorillas or get closer than 7 meters by choice, the experience feels incredibly intimate and close. You are truly sharing their space in the wild, which is what makes gorilla trekking such an unforgettable and profound adventure.